The Vancouver Canucks blueliner made perplexing headlines over the summer by rupturing his Achillies tendon under curious circumstances and now it sounds like he’s wondering if he’ll ever get back to NHL speed.

Yes, things are proceeding well. Yes, he was back on the ice sooner than expected. Barring setbacks, Salo probably will play again, maybe in a month. But there is a big difference between just skating well and skating well enough to play at the top of the National Hockey League.

The Finn said he would retire before risking permanent damage by playing without complete health and — equally importantly — the belief that he can play against the best forwards in the world.

“I’ve had so much more on my mind that worrying about the roster,” Salo said before travelling to San Jose from Denver, where the Canucks beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday. “The worry I’ve had — and it’s still there — is: Can I still play? Am I going to be able to play at the top level? That question still isn’t gone completely, so I have a lot of other things on my mind than worrying about [the roster].”

Salo said he and the Canucks — their coaching and medical staffs — agree he won’t play unless there is absolute certainty that he is fit and capable.

Yes, something tells me that the Canucks aren’t going to try to rush him back into the lineup.